Updated: November 10, 2023

Women In Agriculture Webinar Series on Risk Management: Legal

The most recent webinar 


Estate Planning
Video Length: 47:55   |  Date: October 11, 2023
Speaker: Paul Goeringer, UMD Extension
Description: Do I need a will? Will I need trust? What other things should I be considering? Estate planning can be a difficult topic for many to bring up. This webinar will cover some estate planning basics and provide you an opportunity to ask questions. Watch Video


Creating a Farm Lease Agreement
Video Length: 56:45  |  Date: June 16, 2023
Speaker: Sarah Everhart, UMD Agriculture Law Education Initiative
Description: The panel will include a discussion about the challenges of implementing conservation on leased farmland. The webinar will include a demonstration of new resources to support farmers and farm landowners to form simple farm leases to protect business interests, encourage environmental stewardship, and support on-farm conservation practices. Watch video

Archives

Insurance

Farm Liability Insurance and Farm Business Structures
Video Length: 55:32  | Date: August 14, 2019
Description: Bewildered by the many types of farm insurance? Confused about the difference between a sole proprietorship, an LLC, a corporation, and a cooperative? Join us as we sort through your options. Nicole Cook, Environmental and Agricultural Faculty Legal Specialist from University of Maryland Eastern Shore, will explain the basics of insurance and business structures for your farm and will zoom in on how farm liability insurance and your choice of business structures for your farm can work together to protect you and your farm. Watch video

Crop Insurance Programs for 2018
Video Length: 41:50  |  Date: November 8, 2017
Description: Agriculture is full of risks and there are many options for producers to manage risks in the operation. One tool for producers to consider is purchasing crop insurance to cover certain losses. This webinar will cover the basics of crop insurance and various programs that producers might want to consider. Watch video

Farm Liability Insurance and Farm Business Structures
Video Length:
55:32  |  Date: August 14, 2019
Description: Bewildered by the many types of farm insurance? Confused about the difference between a sole proprietorship, an LLC, a corporation, and a cooperative? Join us as we sort through your options. Nicole Cook, Environmental and Agricultural Faculty Legal Specialist from University of Maryland Eastern Shore, will explain the basics of insurance and business structures for your farm and will zoom in on how farm liability insurance and your choice of business structures for your farm can work together to protect you and your farm. Watch video

Farm Bill

Farm Bill Update 2019
Video Length: 45:45 | Date: January 9, 2019
Description: Howard Leathers will bring us up to date on the current status of the 2018 farm bill. If a bill is passed by this date, he will review the major provisions. Watch video

Farm Bill Update
Video Length: 32:00  | Date: November 20, 2014
Description: The 2014 Farm Bill changes many aspects of US agricultural policy. The new farm bill puts many decisions on producers in order to pick the best risk management tools that work for his/her operation. This webinar will focus provide an overview of the new commodity programs and changes in risk management programs that will benefit women producers. Watch video

Procrastinator's Farm Bill Update
Video Length: 44:22  |  Date: March 11, 2015
Description: Have you waited until the last minute to make your farm bill decisions? This webinar will give a quick overview of the decisions producers must make by Mar. 27, 2015, for the new Farm Bill programs. Watch video

Farm Land (buying, selling, leasing, adverse possession, etc.)

Adverse Possession
Video Length: 33:51  | Date: January 28, 2015
Description: The webinar will focus on Adverse Possession, the legal term for squatter's rights in Maryland. This important legal topic and the associated concept of easement by prescription should be understood by all farmers so that the ownership of your land is not in jeopardy. Does your neighbor drive down your farm lane or consistently use a walking path on your property? If so, they could be forming the basis for the claim to use your property now and into the future. Watch video

Agriculture Leases
Video Length: 33:05   |  Date: October 12, 2022
Speaker: Paul Goeringer
Description: How much notice does the landlord have to give to terminate a lease? What happens if the property sells in the middle of my lease? Can I harvest crops after the lease terminates? There are a lot of common questions associated with leasing farmland that many of you ask and this webinar will cover those questions plus highlight resources available to producers. Watch video

Beginning Farmer- Legal Risk Management and Understanding Property Purchase Agreements
Video Length:    |  Date: December 14, 2022
Speaker: Megan Todd and Sarah Everhart
Description: A legal specialist from the University of Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative will discuss common legal terms used in farmland purchase agreementsWatch Video

Buying and Selling Farmland
Video Length: 43:45  |  Date: October 26, 2016
Description: Learn about every aspect of a typical real estate transaction. Understand the roles of the players involved- the real estate agents, the title company, and the lawyers. Understand the meaning of the legalese in a typical farmland purchase contract, deed, mortgage, and title insurance policy. Don’t go through another settlement signing paperwork you don’t understand! This webinar will make you a smarter buyer and seller of farmland. Watch video

Creating a Farm Lease Agreement
Video Length: 56:45  |  Date: June 16, 2023
Speaker: Sarah Everhart, UMD Agriculture Law Education Initiative
Description: The panel will include a discussion about the challenges of implementing conservation on leased farmland. The webinar will include a demonstration of new resources to support farmers and farm landowners to form simple farm leases to protect business interests, encourage environmental stewardship, and support on-farm conservation practices. Watch video

Farm Lease Agreements
Video Length:
43:26 |  Date: November 14, 2018
Description: A lot of farmland is leased in the Delmarva region with much of it being done on a handshake deal. Understanding leasing laws and developing a written lease can work to improve the landlord-tenant relationship and provide records for future parties to understand what was agreed upon. Join Paul Goeringer as he highlights many of the laws and other issues that will go into developing a farmland lease. Watch video

Helping Farmers to be Good Neighbors
Video Length: 34:47  | Date: December 8, 2021
Description: As rural areas become more developed it is so important for farmers to be good neighbors. New neighbors who may have never been exposed to production agriculture might complain about a farm's noise, pesticide application, odors, dust, or a newly constructed farm building. This session will discuss many aspects of how to be a good neighbor from the appearance of their farm to community involvement.

How to Build a Professional and Personal Landlord-Tenant Relationship
Video Length: 28:32  |  Date: October 28, 2020
Description: Landlords and tenants both benefit from having a great landlord-tenant relationship and it all begins with communication. Learn the many means of communication, resources for contracts, budgets, grain marketing, and much more. Watch video

Land Titles
Video Length: 27:37   | Date: November 12, 2014
Description: How land is titled can clearly define your property rights in that property. By understanding the different forms property can be titled, then you can understand the implications of each on your business, manage your property, and develop an effective estate plan. Watch video

Managing Your Forested Farmland
Video Length: 23:38  | Date: September 25, 2019
Description: This webinar will outline how farmers can best profit from and maintain their forested acres. Learn about the Maryland forestry legal framework and how you can benefit from creating a forest management plan. Watch video

Understanding Buying and Selling Farmland
Video Length: 43:45 |  Date: October 26, 2016
Description: Learn about every aspect of a typical real estate transaction. Understand the roles of the players involved - the real estate agents, the title company, and the lawyers. Understand the meaning of the legalese in a typical farmland purchase contract, deed, mortgage, and title insurance policy. Don’t go through another settlement signing paperwork you don’t understand! This webinar will make you a smarter buyer and seller of farmland. Watch video

Farm Transition Taxes and Medicaid Estate Recovery
Video Length:
25:08 |  Date: July 25, 2018
Description: An overview of the new federal estate tax laws, and other related tax issues. Provide examples of how to determine if your farm estate could trigger federal estate tax limits and state's (Maryland and Delaware) gift, estate, and inheritance taxes. This includes what the cost of paying taxes might be or the cost of any income tax that may be paid if the farm is sold instead, and provide examples of legal tools that could be used to help prevent a high tax burden on farm estate heirs. Then, we will also discuss long-term healthcare and how to avoid the state's recovery for any healthcare assistance. Watch video

Estate Planning

Estate and Transition Planning Success
Video Length: 42:45  |  Date: April 11, 2019
Description: Do you have a plan to transition from the farm to the next generation of managers? Does it accomplish all your goals? Are you considering adopting one for the first time? Join this session to look at some real-world examples of how to develop a plan to transition the farm to the next generation successfully and those plans that have failed to handle those stresses. Watch video

Estate Planning
Video Length: 47:55   |  Date: October 11, 2023
Speaker: Paul Goeringer, UMD Extension
Description: Do I need a will? Will I need trust? What other things should I be considering? Estate planning can be a difficult topic for many to bring up. This webinar will cover some estate planning basics and provide you an opportunity to ask questions. Watch Video

Estate Planning
Video Length:
54:54 |  Date: May 12, 2021
Description: Confused about how to start your family's estate plan? Or how to pass the farm on to the generation?  This session will go over the basics of estate and succession planning.  Come and ask questions to figure out how to get started. Watch video

Estate Planning
Video Length:
27:31 |  Date: August 27, 2014
Description: Do you have an estate plan for your farm or farm business?  During this webinar we will learn the basics steps in setting up an estate plan, and where to look for additional resources. Watch video

How to Avoid the Probate Process
Video Length: 33:40  |  Date: May 9, 2018
Description: Discusses the process of probating a will and some of the negative impacts of probate, and then provide examples of other farm successions/ estate planning legal tools that can help farmers avoid the probate process if that is the best option for their operation. Watch video

Learning From Other's Mistakes: Estate Planning Mistakes and Solutions
Video Length: 39:58 |  Date: April 8, 2020
Description: Many families struggle to start developing an estate plan that works to continue the farm on to the next generation.  Not properly planning can lead to the loss of a family farm and cause conflicts between family members.  This session will discuss the basics of the planning process and provide an overview of tools and how they can work for each family. Watch video

Business Types (sole proprietorship, limited liability company, etc.)

Using an LLC to Strengthen Your Farm Operation
Video Length:
42:14  |  Date: December 19, 2018
Description: Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) are a popular form of business entity or organization. There are a number of ways an LLC can be used to strengthen a farming operation, including but not limited to, limiting liability, defining family ownership interests, and/or transition and succession planning.  This webinar will provide you with examples of the potential pros and cons of utilizing an LLC in your farming operation and give you ideas to discuss with your individual attorney. Watch video

Deciding on a Business Structure
Video Length:
30:49   |  Date: April 13, 2016
Description: Business structures can often be one of the simplest tools producers can utilize to limit their business liability. At the same time, they often confuse those considering adopting one as a tool to utilize in their business. This webinar will cover business structures from the simplest (sole proprietorship) to the most complex (corporation and cooperative) to better help producers understand how to utilize them in their operations. Watch video

Farm Operations (labor, food safety, CSA operators, divorce)

Agricultural Labor Mistakes to Avoid
Video Length: 45:33   |  Date: September 23, 2020
Description: Agricultural employers face a variety of unique legal challenges. Although there are some exemptions for agricultural workers in federal and state labor laws, incorrectly applying those exemptions is, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, a common mistake made by agricultural employers. This webinar will outline the basics of agricultural labor laws and give employers tips to avoid common pitfalls. Watch video

CSA Operators
Video Length: 42:23   |  Date: November 11, 2015
Description: Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a growing business area for many Maryland producers. A CSA can bring in additional income to finance the operation, connect customers with your farm, and bring you a new customer pool, but this relationship depends on a useful contract that works for your business. Ashley Ellixson and Paul Goeringer, both with the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and the Agriculture Law Education Initiative, will walk you through some of the legal issues associated with CSAs, where operators mess up and highlight new resources to assist CSA operators in developing easy to understand contracts for their operations. Watch video

Divorce and Farming
Video Length: 31:14 |  Date: February 14, 2018
Description: Given that nearly half of all U.S. marriages end in divorce, farmers need to be prepared to weather the storm and protect their property and assets. Listen to hear about the legal parameters of property ownership and divorce in Maryland and what strategies can be used to keep farms in the family despite the divorce. Watch video

Food Safety- GAP vs. FSMA
Video Length: 35:48  |  Date: January 12, 2022
Presenters: Megan Todd and Sarah Everhart
Description: A legal specialist from the University of Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative will review current FSMA applicability standards. Watch video

The Produce Safety Rule of the Food Modernization Act & The Records You Need to Keep
Video Length: 37:54 | Date: September 27, 2017
Description: If you grow produce you need to keep records in order to comply with the Produce Safety Rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). If your operation is not subject to the law you need to keep certain records to prove your exemption. If your operation is subject to the law you need to keep certain records to be in full compliance with the law. Join the webinar to learn which records your operation needs to keep to stay compliant with FSMA. Watch video

Protecting Yourself and Others on the Farm
Video Length: 31:55 |  Date: March 13, 2019
Description: Attend this webinar to learn about some easy steps you can take to protect your and your employees' health, and bring your farm into compliance with the Worker Protection Standard. Communicating clearly with everyone on your farm about your pest management practices is extremely important both to prevent accidents and to live up to your legal responsibilities as an employer. Even if you use organic practices, you still have some responsibilities under the Worker Protection Standard. Watch video

Who’s Going to Take Over the Farm Operations?
Video Length: 46:55 |  Date: March 23, 2022
Speakers: Jesse Ketterman and Maria Pippidis
Description: This session will review key skills needed to manage the operation and identify strategies for teaching others to take over–eventually. Watch video